Reading My Own Damn Books: 2018 Challenge

It’s a tale as old as time: bookshelves crammed with stories you were planning on reading…but never got around to. When will the madness stop? To combat the backlist backlog, I’m vowing to read my own damn books. Or at least some of them.

This appears on pretty much every “best fantasy ever” list, and I’ve had it for at least three years. Add in the fact that I loved Carey’s Miranda and Caliban last year and I really don’t know why I’ve put this one off for so long.

Magic of Blood and Sea is a bind-up of the Assassin’s Curse duology, which sounds fun and right up my alley…yet it’s remained unread. Cassandra Rose Clarke has been getting lots of buzz in the SFF community lately too, and I want to join in!

Everyone on instagram would be ashamed of me if they saw this, but I have yet to read ADSOM. The hype kinda freaked me out, and then all the love/hate reactions to Lila Bard scared me off. But I vow to finally read this in 2018!

There are lots of excuses I could use as to why I haven’t read Son of the Shadows yet, but we all know the truth: it’s because Marillier makes me feel pain unlike any other writer out there. This book is going to destroy me, but I’m certain I’ll love every minute of it. Just gotta mentally prepare myself first.

My guy is going to kill me when he sees this, but I just don’t “get” Brandon Sanderson. So far his books have mostly underwhelmed me? I don’t know. The Way of Kings intrigues me though, and it has been sitting on my shelves since 2010…

There’s no excuse for Sweep in Peace! Y’all know that I love Ilona Andrews, and I had a blast reading the first book in this urban fantasy meets sci-fi series about the keeper of a sentient inn. Another book I’ve had since its publication date.

Oh Robin Hobb, how I hear thee praised hither and yon. I own five of her books and I haven’t read a single one of them. As the most famous of her books, Assassin’s Apprentice will be my jumping-off point with her work.

Historical fantasy…set in New York City…romance…y’all. The Golem and the Jinni has all the necessary ingredients to become one of my favourite books, I’ve had it since high school, and I still haven’t read it! What is wrong with me?!

I’ll be honest: I bought this on release day but put off reading End of Days because I’ve heard some sketchy things about it. Hearing that the series doesn’t end on a high point had me bummed, but my need to know how it all ends has finally outweighed my reservations.

Finally, we have Parable of the Talents, the sequel to one of my favourite books of all time. I’ve had it since 2015 and I haven’t read it for…reasons. Reasons that definitely make perfect sense (I don’t know why I haven’t read this yet).

There we have it, my top 12 backlist books! Have you read any of these? What backlist books are you hoping to read this year? Let me know in the comments!